Spain Calls Snap Election After Housing Measure Rejection

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap general election for November 29, 2026, following the parliamentary rejection of his minority government’s housing relief measures. The vote comes as public outrage grows over housing affordability and the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, prompting protests involving more than 70,000 people.

Housing Protests Trigger Parliamentary Stalemate and Election Call

Average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 percent according to real estate website Idealista. Lawmakers in the 350-member chamber struck down two housing decrees last week via a legislative mechanism. In response to the failure of the housing measures, Spain’s two largest unions, CCOO and UGT, announced plans for a 24-hour nationwide general strike this autumn to demand better salaries for housing affordability.

Conservative Opposition Leads Polls as Far-Right Eyes Government

Sanchez faces an uphill re-election battle as his Socialist party currently trails the conservative People’s Party in most polls. People’s Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo urged voters to bring his party to power in a televised address. If the conservative People’s Party forms a coalition with the far-right Vox party as expected, it will mark the first time since the death of dictator Francisco Franco that a far-right party enters Spain’s central government.

Political Strategy and European Stakes on November 29

Sanchez defended his administration in a televised address, stating that his government needs to mobilise and win a much larger progressive majority in Parliament to overcome vested interests and deliver new social advances. Sanchez warned voters about an extreme-right wave across other countries and stated that Spain should remain a global example of peace, feminism, and prosperity. If Sanchez loses the contest, it will end one of Europe’s last remaining left-leaning governments.

Unresolved Questions Ahead of the Autumn Campaign

It remains unclear whether the upcoming nationwide general strike called by CCOO and UGT will disrupt the early campaign period before voters head to the polls on November 29.